Kadamay may keep housing units if...
CLARK FREEPORT – Members of the militant Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) may end up owning the government housing units they occupied in Bulacan.
During a meeting yesterday, leaders of Kadamay and representatives of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Anakpawis and other concerned groups agreed not to push through with the eviction if the policemen and soldiers to whom the units were allotted would opt for bigger units, Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao told The STAR.
The NHA was supposed to implement yesterday the eviction orders it served on Monday last week.
Casilao said police and military personnel would still be given priority, but the units they would give up would be awarded to Kadamay members and other urban poor groups.
He said the government plans to build housing units for policemen and soldiers with a floor area of at least 44 square meters.
The NHA allotted 43,000 units to soldiers and policemen in housing projects across the country. There are around 50,000 other applicants, including members of Kadamay, it said.
Casilao said police and military beneficiaries are given until May 30 to decide.
“Those units... are hardly livable. They are very tiny at 22 square meters with barely any space for a yard. Kadamay members, nevertheless are willing to stay there because they have become desperate. They just want electricity and water connection,” he said.
Inventory, profiling
Michael Beltran, Kadamay public information officer, said the NHA committed to conduct an inventory of its records to check on the application of Kadamay members that had not been processed.
”We welcome that... as to the profiling of beneficiaries... our records are open. They will see that Kadamay members are legitimate urban poor and are in- deed homeless,” Beltran said.
Joint probe
Meanwhile, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, said the joint congressional inquiry into the occupation of government housing projects is set after the Holy Week.
”Hopefully, we can offer solutions with the government housing agencies and other concerned agencies,” Ejercito said.
The joint inquiry was prompted by resolutions filed by Ejercito and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development.